The present applicant's Australian Patent 667145 discloses a structural member of a kind roll formed from a strip of metal sheet so that the strip is folded over onto itself at its lateral edges to form respective boxed edge formations linked by a web. The web and adjacent portions of the boxed edge formations define a longitudinally extending recess of dovetail cross-section. Boxed structural members of this form are well suited to serve as wall studs in steel building frames in that they provide sufficient structural strength with minimum material, while the boxing imparts sufficient rigidity to allow other frame. and cladding components to be fastened to the studs by nailing.
An earlier open form of wall stud is disclosed in applicant's Australian patent 639313.
The common practice is to deliver a steel house frame to a building site as a set of subframes and individual components. The subframes normally include stud wall subframes, each comprising an assembly of wall studs joined by top and bottom plates and by noggings. The normal practice is to commence frame erection by installing the wall subframes in position on the slab and loosely linking them together. On completion of this layout, the erection crew commences rigid fastening of the frames together before starting on the roof. It is an object of at least one aspect of the invention to facilitate the initial laying out and linking of the wall subframes.
It is another object of the invention, in one or more further aspects, to address longer term problems which may arise from in situ forces tending to separate wall subframes, which can arise e.g. from a variety of temperature effects, or from ground and frame movements.